Which appears to have just happened in Brazil with Mr. Ryan Lochte and his fellow teammates. It’s not so much what they did or didn’t do, but it’s the story they allegedly wove after having done whatever it is that they did. Rather than just be honest about what happened, they seemingly chose to cover it all up with an alternate story. That alternate story not only didn’t stick, it didn’t jive with some of the facts.

So apparently it’s the cover up got them in a heap of trouble.

Once again.

Sure, the scuffle with the authorities will be over soon, if not already. But the court of social public opinion will weigh in for years, influencing their futures and their future deals.

As a society, we sometimes put up with a lot, but we’re not so cool about lying and about cover-ups. Cover-ups can cost you dearly and we’ve seen it over and over again.

So what’s the lesson learned for marketers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs? How can we avoid something like this happening with our own brands?

Come clean.

Be honest about who you are and what you do. It’s okay to make mistakes, we all do. We expect that all of us will make mistakes. It honestly comes with the territory. It’s what you do after you make the mistake that reveals your true persona. In this case, your true brand persona and how you decide to operate as a business.

So don’t cover up your mistakes or make excuses about them or blame others for them. Take it all on directly and take responsibility… then talk through a game plan for how you plan to fix it.

I would bet that if Ryan and his friends had simply come clean about what happened and then repaired any damages, no one would have spent more than five seconds on it. It would have made headlines for a New York minute, and then everyone would have moved on. But now instead, this one will likely affect their careers for the rest of their lives.

Above all else, conduct yourself, your marketing, and your business practices with open and honest communications. Be true to yourself at every step and let your customers know that yes you do make mistakes but you also take responsibility for them.